Sound producing devices for dolls, and doll bodies provided with sound producing devices



3,032,920 L BODIES May 8, 1962 D. COHN SOUND PRODUCING DEVICES FOR DOLLS, AND DOL PROVIDED WITH SOUND PRODUCING DEVICES Filed June 23, 1960 FIG.5

IN VEN TOR. OAV/D C OHA/ ite ttes Patent 3,ll32,92d Patented May 8, 1962 fifice This invention relates to sound producing; devices for dolls, and doll bodies provided with sound producing devices. It is particularly directed to dolls provided with ma-ma voices. An object of this invention is to. provide a highly improved ma-ma voice for a doll comprising a weighted member carrying a sound reed, a gasket on said member to wipe against the inner surface of a container in which the weighted member is slidable, a diaphragm on the weighted member having a center hole through which a center valve peg moves to interrupt the sound, and a single ring-like clamp member on the weighted member having means to clamp back the gasket and the-diaphragm to said weighted member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable construction of the character described which shall beeasy toassemble, relatively inexpensive to manufacture,-which shall be sure and positive in operation, and practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in-part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

FIG. 1 is an elevational cross-sectional view of a doll body provided with a sound producing device, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1, with the body lying on its back;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the body turned onto its belly side;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, designates a doll structure comprising a doll body 11 provided with a sound producing means 12.

The body is hollow and has a belly portion 13, a back portion 14, side portions 15, arm holes 16, leg holes 16 and a neck 17.

The back portion 14 has a circular opening 20 forming an annular recessed shoulder or seat 21 and a cylindrical flange 22.

Recessed in said opening 20 is the sound producing device 12. Said device 12 comprises a container 23 provided with a cap or cover 24. The container 23 comprises a cylindrical wall 25 closed by an integral bottom end wall 26. The open end of the cylindrical wall 25 fits into flange 22 to the level of seat 21. The cap or cover 24 has two circles of openings 24a, and an outer rim portion 24b seated on seat 21. It also has an annular flange 27 which fits into the open end of cylindrical wall 25. The cap 24 may be cemented to the cylindrical wall 25 and to the seat 21 of the body 11.

Said cap 24 is also provided with a central annular flange 30 of reduced diameter and extending beyond flange 27, and forming a socket 31.

Fitted into socket 31 is a peg 32 having a reduced shank 33 at one end force fitted or cemented in the socket and having a frusto-conical portion 34 at its other end. The diameter of the base of the frusto-conical portion 34 is the same as the outer diameter of flange 30.

Slidable in the container 23 is a device 40 comprising a member 41 which may be made of plastic and having an outer cylindrical surface 42. At the lower endof surface 42 is an annular shoulder 43 from which extends down, a cylindrical surface 44 having a loose sliding fit with the interior surface of cylindrical wall 25. At its lower end, said member 41 has a recess 45 forming a horizontal undersurface 46 and an annular inner cylindrical surface 47. Surface 46 is located above shoulder 43. At the lower end of surface 47 is an annular undershoulder 48 disposed below shoulder 43; and below said under-shoulder is a rim flange 50 which is peened over a metal weighted disc 51 to hold it against said undershoulder. Disc 51 has a center hole 52. In the position of FIG. 3, rim 50 may rest on bottom wall 26 of the container.

At the upper end of cylindrical surface 42 is an annular shoulder 53. Extending up from the inner rim of shoulder 53 is a cylindrical surface 54 of less diameter than surface 42. At the upper end of surface 54 is a top annular surface 55. The top of member 41 is depressed to form a frusto-conical recess 56 forming a bottom surface 57 from which extends upwardly an inner frustoconical surface 58 reaching to the top surface 55. Surface 57 is close to undersurface 4'6, asshown in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

Member 41 is formed with a through opening 60 parallelto the axisof said member and off-set therefrom and located at the rim of recess 56. Inserted into said opening 60 is a sound reed 61. Sound is produced while member 41 slides from the cap end of container 23 toward the wall 26 of said container. The lower end of the reed 61 projects down into recess 45.

On shoulder 53 is a gasket 65. The same may comprise a lower flat rubber or rubber-like ring 66 contacting said shoulder 53 and having an outer diameter the same as the diameter of surface 42, and an upper flat rubber ring 67 resting on the lower gasket ring but extending therebeyond and having wiping contact with the inner surface of wall 25. Ring 67 is also made of soft flexible rubberlike material.

On top of surface 55 lies a diaphragm 70 likewise of thin flexible, resilient, soft rubberlike material. Diaphragm 70 has a center hole 71 having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of base of frustoconical portion 34 of peg 32. It also has an ofiset small pin hole 71a.

A single clamp ring or member 72 serves to clamp the diaphragm 70 and gasket 65 to member 41. Said clamp 72 has a top inwardly extending flange 73 contacting the portion of diaphragm which overlies the surface 55. Extending down from flange 73 is a cylindrical wall 74 having a friction fit with surface 54. Extending outwardly from the lower end of wall 74 is a flange 75 contacting gasket 65 and pressing it down onto shoulder 53. Cement may be used to more firmly attach clamp 72 to member 41 and to the gaskets 65 and diaphragm 70.

Thus, the one clamp member 72 serves to attach the gasket 65, as well as the diaphragm 70 to the member 41.

When the doll is on its back, device 40 is at the cap end of the container, as shown in FIG. 2. Upon turning the body around so that it rests on its belly, member 40 moves from the cap end to the opposite end of the couta-iner to the position of FIG. 3.

During movement of member 40 from position of FIG. 2 to position of FIG. 3, air will rush through the reed 61 to make a sound. The sound is interrupted when 3 flange 30 is in the center hole 71 of the diaphragm 7i), and when the base of the frusto-conical portion 34 of peg 32 passes through said center hole. The sound is hence interrupted to make a ma-ma sound.

Upon turning the body from, its belly side to its back side (from position of FIG. 3 to position of FIG. 2) no sound is made.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of pract-ical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A container, a member slideable in said container and provided with a reduced portion at one end, having an end surface and a recess at said end, with said end surface surrounding said recess, a diaphragm having a central hole, a recess at the other end of said member, said member having a passage connecting said recesses and a sound reed in said passage, said member having an external annular shoulder spaced from said end surface, a gasket on said shoulder having wiping contact with the inner surface of said container, and a single unitary clamp means to clamp said diaphragm and gasket to said member, said clamp means having an annular flange pressing the diaphragm against said end surface, and a wall contacting and tightly gripping the outer surface of said reduced portion of said member, and a flange extending radially outwardly of said wall pressing said gasket against said external shoulder.

2. The combination of a doll body and a container,

said container having a member slideable in said container and provided with a reduced portion at one end, having an end surface and a recess at said end, with said end surface surrounding said recess, a diaphragm having a central hole, a recess at the other end of said member, said member having a passage connecting said recesses and a sound reed in said passage, said member having.

an external annular shoulder spaced from said end surface, a gasket on said shoulder having wiping contact with the inner surface of said container, and a single unitary clamp means to clamp said diaphragm and gasket to said member, said clamp means having an annular flange pressing the diaphragm against said end surface, and a wall contacting and tightly gripping the outer surface of said reduced portion of said member, and a flange extending radially outwardly of said wall pressing said gasket against said external shoulder, said doll body having an opening therein, and provided With a depressed shoulder surrounding said opening, a cap covering the opening and seated on said shoulder, said container having a cylindrical wall and an integral bottom wall and being open at one end, said open end being fitted in the opening in the body and said cap having a flange fitted into the open end of the container, and a central peg in said cap projecting down into said container and adapted to be received in the hole in said diaphragm.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,466,878 Grubman Sept. 4, 1923 2,558,237 Cohn et a1 June 26, 1951 2,712,201 Wintriss v July 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,091 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1952 551,365 Canada J an. 7, 1958 

